captioned by closed captioning services inc. welcome to "world news." tonight the labor day loss. the race for president kicks into high gear. both sides with their words and the new poll out tonight. was there a convention bounce? microbrew beer from the white house. is there more to the recipe? race against time. the incredible sight along the shoreline, two dozen beached whales in front of families on the beach. tonight the dramatic effort to save them. out of control, the crash caught on tape, a plane going down while thousands watched. >> oh, no! >> why are so many of these planes crashing? the investigation tonight. and deck dangers. dramatic images of backyard decks giving way. this evening, why authorities say 40 million decks need a closer look. >> good evening on this sunday

night. we start with the brand new fuel that comes every four years on labor day as the presidential campaigns gear up for their final push. to give you an idea how crucial the battleground states are, where this razor-thin race will be decided, just look over my shoulder tonight. just since the republican convention, mitt romney has been to the battleground states of florida, ohio, and tonight he's up in new hampshire. president obama in iowa, colorado, and tomorrow in ohio. tonight on the eve of the democratic convention, was there a bounce for mitt romney from his convention? a new poll suggesting otherwise. a gallup poll suggesting otherwise. a dead heat tonight. obama 47, romney, 46. another daily pole that showed a convention bounce pushing romney -- a tie, 45 even. >> our power house political team covering it all tonight and bee start with david kerley. >> the president is appealing to his core groups in those

all-important battleground stalts. just a couple of hours ago, a college campus in colorado. for both sides, their messages are coming into focus. >> reporter: the president told the students the republican convention was selling outdated economic ideas. >> an agenda that was better suited for the last century. it was a rerun. it could have been on nick at night. [ laughter ] we've seen it before. you might as well have watched it on a black and white tv with some rabbit ears. >> reporter: mitt romney was on the attack too, with his first weekend of college football providing a metaphor. >> one of the promises he made, he was going to create more jobs. today 23 million people are out of work or stopped looking for work or underemployed. let me tell you, if you have a coach that's zero and 23 million, you do say it's time to get a new coach? >> another possible distraction for romney, reports that the new york attorney general is probing the tax practices of some of the country's biggest private equity

firms, including romney's former firm, bain capital. romney and his management, reportedly are not part of the investigation. meanwhile, back on the trail, an indication of how close the race is, with the president imploring supporters to vote early. he did so in iowa too. already democrats hold a 3-1 advantage with voters there, where democratic registrations have dropped off since the president was elected. so what will you hear for the next 60-plus days? listen up for this back and forth. >> we are going to help the american people and help the families in america. >> they have tried to sell us these tired, trickle-down, you're on your own policies before. >> paul ryan and i have a plan that will get america working again. >> he did not offer a single new idea. >> a better future is ahead. >> just re-dredge the same old policies. >> america will come roaring back. >> we've come too far to turn back now. >> we're taking this country back, that's why i'm asking for a second term. >> while democrats meet in

charlotte, mr. romney will be taking part in debate practice. and with the race so close, those debates could be critical this election season. >> they were almost finishing each other's sentences there. david, thank you. as the democrats prepare for their convention in charlotte, charlotte is getting ready for the democrats. this video tonight showing workers transforming the arena into a convention all. that's the view inside. tonight after last week's convention making headlines. what now from the democrats? cecilia vega is in charlotte tonight. >> reporter: the finishing touches are under way. some of the biggest names in politics are about to be center stage. can democrats in charlotte outshine republicans in tampa? >> i love you, women! >> let us begin that future for america tonight. >> reporter: to that odd conversation with the empty chair. >> i'm not going to shut up. it's my turn. >> reporter: now it's time for the democrats to roll out their a-listers.

some of hollywood's biggest names will play a starring role, eva longoria, james taylor, mary j. blige, the foot fight erds, john legend, and the black eyed peas. then come the big guns. >> i didn't watch it. but i think it's important for everyone to watch these conventions, because this is technically where the campaign begins. >> after telling david letterman last week she didn't watch the republicans, the first lady kicks off the democratic line-up on tuesday. >> we need to keep going with his plan. >> reporter: former president bill clinton takes the stage on wednesday, followed the next night by the headliner, president obama. >> america, we cannot turn back. >> reporter: that comes with plenty of streamers. the stadium where obama will speak is an outdoor arena. thousands of people are expected to pack it on thursday night. convention organizers are calling it a rain or shine event. so far the forecast shows it could be a wet one. >> i know you'll be right there,

cecilia, thank you. >> i want to bring in rick klein tonight also in charlotte. we just learned that clint eastwood will not be part of the mash-up of speakers at the republican convention that they've posted online. but in all that talk about how that empty chair went, there's a political opportunity being missed here. according to matt dowd. i want to get your reaction to what he said. >> to me the empty chair that matters in all this, the which neither side has talked to, is the empty chair of the man or woman that didn't come home from iraq. their husband or wife is gone or daughter is gone. it's the empty chair of a woman working two shifts because she doesn't have flex time. who will provide that for her? it's the empty chair of a grandfather with alzheimer's that can't be there because they're in a home and the family can't manage them. >> i wonder if both campaigns are listening tonight. do democrats have an advantage after hearing what the republicans said in their own convention?

>> president obama gets to spend the week trying to fill clint eastwood's chair. national security and foreign policy almost unmentioned last week at the republican convention. those are areas where president obama feels he has a natural advantage as the commander in chief. >> as you saw this weekend, the white house releasing the behind-the-scenes images of their micro brewed beer there. a lot of political strategists suggesting there's micro targeting of voters. >> a beer is not just a beer, micro targeting, around white working class voters. both sides having trouble connecting with those voters. the message from president obama, just like you, ready to pull up a chair next to you, especially if it's a bar stool. >> rick klein, thank you very much. diane sawyer and george stephanopoulos will be there in charlotte, tuesday through thursday every night at 10:00 p.m. eastern right here on abc. >> we do move on tonight to the system that's still moving, what's left over from isaac, the storm spinning off tornadoes.

this tornado slicing across corning, arkansas. tonight parts of the midwest and the south facing the threat of even more severe weather. let's bring in abc meteorologist ginger zee. >> can you believe we're still talking about isaac? this has been a long week and a half or so. the rotation is still evident and still causing issues. illinois down to mississippi and alabama tonight, that's where the threat lies, that's where the circulation is and really a tornado watch just went into effect the last couple of hours until 11:00 p.m. eastern, all the way from lexington to tupelo. so nashville is included as well. let me show you this video. more tornadoes showing up yesterday. this one in missouri. thank you to our affiliate for getting this out of arkansas, but impressive images. we know that it can do it. the system is capable of producing tornadoes. >> luckily no one hurt so far. i know you're tracking this all night long. ginger, thanks to you. in the meantime, finally welcome news.

authorities have lifted a mandatory evacuation order after determining there that a dam is going to hold along the louisiana river, saving so many neighborhoods in its path. ryan owens in louisiana again tonight. >> reporter: the thousands who fled their homes north of new orleans this weekend -- >> an immediate and mandatory evacuation. >> reporter: -- got to come home this morning. they live near a canal that authorities thought was about to fail. look how isaac's water eroded the earth around it. saturday crews opened the lock to relieve the pressure and now believe the danger has passed. >> the current situation is, everything is stable. the integrity of the structure is fine. >> reporter: here's what's not fine. the temperature. the heat index in new orleans today is 105. with a quarter of million people without power, without air conditioning for a fifth straight day, the misery index is higher than that. >> everybody sitting on their

front porches. that's the only place to get a breeze, and not, you know, be sweltering in your own house. it's been sort of miserable, but we're hoping that around the corner they'll get the power on by today. >> reporter: most of the areas rivers are receding. the exception is the pearl river where authorities warn more flooding is possible. you're looking at some of the homes that are still very much in the danger zone. we took a boat ride on the pearl river, which is not expected to crest until some point tomorrow at five feet above flood stage. until that happens, no one here is in the clear. david? >> ryan owens tonight, thank you. we move to the air show in iowa that took a deadly turn. spectators watched helplessly as a jet in formation veered out of control and plunged to the ground, killing the pilot. the tragedy raising new questions about the safety of air shows. a warning, the images are disturbing. here's clayton sandell.

>> reporter: it was a spectacular trouble-free flight until this. >> oh, no, it just crashed. >> reporter: flying in tight formation in davenport, iowa, this jet suddenly banks for the ground, never recovering. glen smith, a veteran pilot was killed. >> went nose down into the ground and burst into flames. >> reporter: since 1988, air show accidents in north america have killed more than 100 pilots and performers. but for the 12 million people who enjoy them every year, air shows are almost always safe. it was a terrible crash in the '50s that led to new rules. planes must now stay 500 to 1,500 feet away from crowds and avoid flying toward people. >> there hasn't been a spectator fatality since 1962. that's because of the strict rules that have been in place for nearly 60 years. >> reporter: but there are new rules when it comes to the world of air races after this crash last september.

a p-51 mustang slams into the crowd in nevada. 11 people were killed. federal investigators found the plane had performance modifications that were undocumented and untested. this spring, the ntsb called for stricter rules, more training for pilots, and changes to the racecourse, to better avoid spectators. >> you're going to see people flying planes to the edge of the envelope, and that means also there's just a bit of assumed risk for any audience member. >> reporter: for many, a thrill with a risk worth taking. clayton sandell, abc news. >> clayton, thank you. now to the drama on the shores of new england. more beaches have been closed this labor day weekend due to sharks. this after a lifeless great white shark, 13 feet long washed up along the massachusetts-rhode island border. adding to the anxiety already there after several beach closings this summer. biologists say they don't know why this particular shark died. along the florida coast, two dozen whales came ashore and beach goers raced to save them.

abc's john schriffen with more. >> reporter: it was a heart breaking and helpless scene. waves tossing dozens of pilot whales onto a florida beach. this woman does her best to coax the whales back into the sea. but this rescue effort needed more help. >> there's a lot of work that needs to be done here. >> reporter: within hours this beach is swarming with a rescue team and volunteers, armed with sponges and buckets, giving up their last big weekend of the summer, to save these whales. >> i want to show our kids, it's the right thing to do. >> hopefully they'll get released and they'll be back with their family. >> one, two, three! >> reporter: it's a race against time. most of these whales won't make it. in the end, 17 are euthanized to end their suffering. but five are strong enough to be transported to a nearby marine center where they're being nursed back from the brink of death.

receiving around-the-clock care. so how did they end up on the beach in the first place? scientists don't know just yet, but believe it has something to do with pilot whales' natural instinct. >> they have a tight-knit social group. if one animal is not well, they will come into shore and the others will follow too. >> rescuers are focusing their efforts on the five surviving young whales who will be transferred to sea world in orlando. david, the hope is they will get stronger over the next few months and be released back into the ocean. >> we're all pulling for those five whales tonight. thank you. we learned sun myung moon has died. a self-proclaimed messiah who turned his church into a global movement. beloved by followers, but detractors accused him of brain-washing recruits, turning them into so-called "moonies." he gained notoriety by marrying thousands of followers. in mass ceremonies. but some of those getting married didn't even know each other. moon founded "the washington

times" newspaper in an effort to expand his influence. he was 92. much more ahead. images capturing a deck collapsing in the backyard, perhaps you remember it. now authorities say 40 million decks need a closer look. then later, do you remember this? ♪ wondering what dress to wear now ♪ ♪ i say a little prayer for you ♪ >> remembering the man who put words to so many of the songs you'll remember.

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now i'm a believer. you'll be a believer, too. learn where to find your number at drscholls.com. now to our consumer watchdog report. perhaps you remember that image, prom night gone wrong. the deck collapsing under so many young couples. but they were okay, but authorities say 40 million decks in america should get a second look. elisabeth leamy with the story tonight. >> reporter: it was prom night in indiana. then suddenly chaos. watch again, the deck goes down in just two seconds. these teens suffered bumps and bruises, but this virginia woman broke her leg after her deck collapsed and other people have been killed. so what should you watch out for? first, experts say look for cracked and rotted wood. the people at this birthday party in redmond, washington, had no idea their deck was rotting, until it fell out from under them. banging them up.

another warning sign is weak connections, like nails. experts say make sure the deck is bolted instead, straight through to the skeleton of the house. >> there was a loud crack but there was nothing before that. we didn't hear any cracking. >> reporter: two people were in critical condition after this dramatic deck collapse in golden, colorado. third, even if the deck is attached properly make sure the bolts aren't corroding. what happens when people ignore the warning signs? abc news had this deck built with the number one flaw, those weak connections, just so we could demolish it and show you. >> one, two, three! >> reporter: it's textbook like so many, our deck collapses against the building, adding a crushing hazard to the falling danger. that's why experts say if your deck is more than 15 years old, get it inspected immediately. elisabeth leamy, abc news, washington.

>> our thanks to elizabeth. when we come back, perhaps if you've been on a boat when it hit a wave, this family had the camera rolling and you'll see what happens to them coming up. . afternoon's overhaul starts with more pain. more pills. triple checking hydraulics. the evening brings more pain. so, back to more pills. almost done, when... hang on. stan's doctor recommended aleve. it can keep pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is rudy. who switched to aleve. and two pills for a day free of pain. ♪ [ female announcer ] and try aleve for relief from tough headaches. oh, we call it the bundler. let's say you need home and auto insurance. you give us your information once, online... [ whirring and beeping ] [ ding! ] and we give you a discount on both. sort of like two in one. how did you guys think of that?

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are you ready for football? nfl season starts wednesday, with one important new rule, inspired by this scene right here. a preseason game in houston, it gets ugly here. all 32 teams are now banning rowdy fans from their stadiums. if you get kicked out, you have to take a four-hour online anger management case. you have to pay for it too, between $50 and a hundred dollars. when we come back, do you remember this? ♪ raindrops keep falling on my head ♪ ♪ just like the guy who's feet are too big ♪ >> why we were whistling this song and so many others here after the break.

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diarrhea, gas, bloating? yeah. one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. approved! [ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'. finally tonight, we remember a songwriter whose name you might not know, but whose songs likely made you smile. he was one-half of a writing duo to create the soundtrack for so many american lives. hal david first teamed up with burt bacharach in the 1960s. who could forget this one? ♪ rain drops keep falling on my head ♪

>> they would win oscar for those rain drops. >> they would collaborate by telephone. ♪ a comb in my hair now that's how they came up with this one. ♪ wondering what dress to wear now ♪ say a little prayer for you ♪ >> david once said songs should be like a little film and say it as simply as possible. >> the idea of reaching out with warmth and love, it's so simple, but it's not so simple because people don't tend to do it. >> he would help make dionne warwick a star, she helped honor him in 2004 with a song. ♪ what the world needs now is love sweet love ♪ it's the only thing that there's just too little of ♪ >> and when there is heart break, three simple words.

♪ walk on by >> her video in the 1960s. hal david said when writing a song, if it went nowhere, he would stick it in a drawer, leave it for months, before trying it again. ♪ the tears and the sadness you gave me when you said goob ♪ >> something he told us a few years ago, perhaps just as poignant. >> i think my true politics are in what the world needs now is love. i think if that were the politics of the nation, it would be a happier place. ♪ >> hal david's widow said he died likely with a song in his head. >> that's the broadcast. gma in the morning and i'll be in for diane tomorrow. goodnight.

>> alan: next at 6:00. dozens of shots fired a fatal officer-involved shooting. a bizarre freeway accident. how this fan ended up here. an amazing turnout to honor petaluma's all-star little league team. abc-7 news at 6:00 starts now. >> a girl said, don't shoot. and i heard 20 rounds went off. >> alan: one person is dead after vallejo police officers opened fire on two men. good evening, i'm alan wang. ama daetz has the night off. the shooting happened on pepper drive in vallejo. sergio quinn tan in is live with a look at what happened. reporter: this is an early morning incident, happened around 4:00 or so, and